The Marshmallow Test
by SeraSearaSpin
Summary: All the little nations are rounded up to participate in the marshmallow test. The only rule is; Don't eat your marshmallow for ten minutes, and you'll get another one.


**In honor of America's birthday. [I'd planned to get this out on Canada Day, but I...forgot...Sorry, Canada...] I know I'm a day late, but I was typing this on the 4th and literally fell asleep with my head on the keyboard XD**

***pretending all the nations are about the same age in this* Oh, and about this age, Italy was thought to be a girl, HRE was still around [so Germany was not], Hungary was thought to be a boy, Prussia was Teutonic Knights, and there were less conflicts so people are less angry. Technically I shou****ld be calling Italy 'she', and Hungary 'he', but I can't make myself do that because it's just weird...The only person who gets to call him 'she' is HRE****. **

**I know I'm not using all the nations in this. No need to tell me so. ^w^**

**Review! :D **

* * *

The little nations were alerted from their respective goings-on by a man in a blue suit telling them there was a test to be done. They were assembled in a friendly-seeming room with orange walls, and the man in the blue suit stood at a podium and knocked his fist against it respectfully to get their attention. The room eventually fell silent, their attention on him, but for a few exceptions. Greece was sleeping, Romano was arguing with Spain, Switzerland was frowning at Austria, and Poland was off scribbling on the walls with a pink marker.

"Nations," said the man in a warm tenor. "You've been assembled here today for a test, of sorts."

Japan straightened up. Tests were his forte.

"What kind of test?" called out Italy cheerfully, standing next to HRE.

The man smiled at her. "I'll get to that." Turning back to the rest of the nations, he said, "You're all going to pick a room."

"I call the first room!" bellowed America. "First is the best!"

"First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the hairy chest," chanted Teutonic Knights, bursting out into his signature laugh.

Ignoring the outburst, the man continued. "In each room is a marshmallow."

A chorus of "Oohs" and "Aahs" rose from the audience.

"The test is;" He hesitated for effect. The little nations squirmed on the spot, and Poland began writing on Lithuania with his marker.

"If you don't eat the marshmallow, ten minutes later, you'll get another. And so forth."

"Pshaw!" scoffed America. "That's an easy test."

The man barely concealed a smile. "Is it, now."

"Hm?"

The man raised his voice. "You can all go pick your rooms now! One to a room!"

The nations filed out, some laughing, some talking, some walking quietly. Egypt stayed behind to wake up Greece.

"I'll beat you at this!" Hungary jeered at Teutonic Knights.

"Nuh uh! The marshmallows are naturally attracted to my awesomeness!" The albino countered.

"GETTING THE MOST MARSHMALLOWS ORIGINATED IN ME, DA-ZE!" bellowed South Korea as he ran down the hall.

"I'll get so many marshmallows that I can sleep in them!" said Spain cheerfully. "Shut up, bastard!" Romano snapped as a reply.

"I don't even bloody like marshmallows," grumbled the familiar eyebrows monster.

"What's a marshmallow?" Iceland asked Norway, who in turn, grudgingly asked Denmark. "Well you see," said Denmark, "A marshmallow is obviously a type of grass that you can be woven into beer!" He folded his arms triumphantly at his excellent definition. Norway decided to ask America, who'd run immediately to the first door and shouted, "I'M THE HERO!"

"I think I'm too old for this, aru," murmured China, the only full-sized nation among the mass of chibis and kids.

"Sir? Sir?" Finland walked over to the blue suited man. "If my dog eats my marshmallow, can I get another one?" He turned his most adorable gaze on the man.

France and Belarus started arguing over the second to last door. "I was here first!" protested the blond nation. "But I must be next to my brother!" Belarus fluffed her short ash colored hair. "I _must _be!"

The blue suited man had to bypass Finland's question for the moment to separate them before Belarus took her knives out.

"Where do you want to go?" HRE asked Italy.

"Oh, anywhere is fine~" replied Italy. "As long as there's pasta!"

"It's marshmallows," explained HRE. After a pause, he said, "Pasta flavored."

Italy cheered, and HRE smiled at her.

"I'm already in here!" Canada said to Hungary. "Pick another room!"

After an eternity of arguing and talking and waking up Greece from the middle of the carpet, the nations were situated. Each room was painted a bright pastel color, but were uniform in design. There was a table in the middle, with a tall chair in front. On the table was a plate, and on the plate was a marshmallow.

The test had just begun.

* * *

America stared at the marshmallow, eyes wide. It was luscious, and plump, and it sat so perfectly on the table in front of him he reached for it, mouth watering. _Wait, no! Don't do it!_ He snapped his hand back and stared at it longingly before heaving a great sigh and slumping down in his chair. A moment later, he was reaching for the gooey white treat again before catching himself and giving the marshmallow the most forlorn look ever.

* * *

As soon as the door was shut behind her, Italy scrambled over to the chair and clambered up it. Once perched on top of the chair, he looked at the marshmallow, sniffed it, and popped it into his mouth. His gold eyes opened wide with delight. _It's not pasta, but it's sure close~_

When the blue-suited man poked his head in to inform him that the test was over, he almost took a hyper, bouncing-off-the-walls Italy to the face. "Veh~" he squealed, and hugged his neck in a vise-like grip. "Did I win?" He offered him a big smile.

"Erm..." stammered the man, as he tried to breathe, staggering backwards out the door and just managing to shut it behind him.

* * *

HRE contemplated his marshmallow. _What is it? I've never seen one before. _He prodded it with a fingertip. As if on cue, a moment later he heard the familiar sound of Italy's beautiful voice outside his door. _She must've already ate hers..._he thought with a smile. "Italy! I'm coming!~" he said, and swallowed the marshmallow.

A moment later HRE and Italy were sitting in the orange room they'd started in, chatting pleasantly.

* * *

Japan regarded his marshmallow with all the solemnity he could muster, daring it to do anything.

It didn't move.

He made his eyes wide, refusing to blink, until they watered, clouding the brown irises with tears. He rubbed his eyes carefully, as if when he blinked the marshmallow would lunge forwards and fly into his mouth.

_I'm going to win this if it's the last thing I do._

* * *

Russia was perched on his stool, scarf trailing over one shoulder. "What are you? A snowflake?" He asked curiously. "Become one with me, да?"

_Why should I? _replied the marshmallow. _I like living._

"Really?" asked Russia, enthralled. "Can I be your friend?"

When the man in the blue suit checked in on him, he found the nation chatting animatedly away with the marshmallow.

* * *

"I don't like you." Belarus put her face level with the marshmallow and glowered. "You're insulting." She took out her knife and stabbed it hard enough for the blade to embed itself through the table, and scowled at it. "I WANT OUT NOW." When no response was forward in coming, she grabbed her knife and began sawing at the hinges, being too short to reach the doorknob. The screech of steel on metal was deafeningly painful.

The blue suited man quickly hurried over to release her.

* * *

When Greece was eventually woken up long enough to walk into the marshmallow room, he clambered up the chair, studied the marshmallow, and crawled onto the table, using the marshmallow as a pillow. In moments he was sleeping again.

* * *

When he was sure the blue suited man had left, Romano squinted at his marshmallow. It looked delightful. Glancing surreptitiously around for cameras, he carefully took his marshmallow and placed it in his mouth, chewing slowly. The gob of white sugar finally slid down his throat, and he would've smiled but instead he said "_Hmph_."

When the blue suited man came to fetch him back to the main room, Romano gave him his most angry glare. "I didn't eat the marshmallow!" he cried. "The stupid squirrels did it! First they pee in my bed, and then they steal my marshmallow! It's not fair! Get rid of the squirrels and give me a second chance!"

The man gave him a look. "No, thanks." he said, and then proceeded to ignore the string of expletives as he scooped up the non-compliant Italian under one arm like a cabbage and took him back to the main room.

* * *

When Denmark entered the main room, he was greeted by a babble of voices. He looked around. There was Belarus, staring at her brother, who was sobbing inconsolably as Ukraine tried to comfort him. "I-I was talking to him, a-and then he, h-he said something mean, so I k-killed him." Russia looked up suddenly, smiling at the thought. "I killed him. _I killed him." _He broke out into a wide grin. Denmark didn't want to know. He assumed the Russian meant the marshmallow.

There was Poland, coloring the remains of his marshmallow pink. He'd heard him yelling at the man in the blue suit, demanding a better marshmallow, and eventually Lithuania had been forced to eat his marshmallow just to come out and calm down the wild pink nation.

Italy was talking to HRE in the corner, and Romano was sulking in the opposite one. Finland was scolding his dog for eating the marshmallow. Sweden was looming next to him, his scary face on.

Denmark went to talk to South Korea, who was dejected that he'd not gotten all the marshmallows. While they were talking, Taiwan came in, a self-satisfied smile barely visible on her face under the marshmallow smeared all over it. China was next, -"I did this on purpose, aru!" he'd announced- and he sighed and used his sleeve to clean her face off.

Liechtenstein came in, a mischievous smile on her cute little face. Switzerland apparently had eaten his marshmallow a moment later, and put an arm around his sister. Austria came soon after, scowling.

Canada sat [not invisible this time] on the table and was listening to Norway and Iceland tell corny jokes.

England came in, followed by the Frenchman. "Just because I got Flying Mint Bunny to eat the horrid thing for me doesn't mean _I _ate it."

France was just laughing at him.

* * *

The clock wound up to ten minutes.

The blue-suited man handed out the next set of marshmallows, pausing to give America's raggedly nibbled marshmallow a curious look, and to compliment Egypt on the pyramid he'd made out of his, even though he'd eaten half the marshmallow before sculpting. He took note of Teutonic Knights' and Hungary's furious faces, neither willing to give in an inch to allow the other to win. As soon as Spain got his marshmallows, however, he crumpled them up and stuffed them in his ears, and then ran out of the room screaming "MY TOMATES ARE LEAKING OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The man woke up Greece, who then, after receiving his second marshmallow, devoured both, muttered "Chubby Bunny," for some unfathomable reason, and then was sent to the main room to sleep some more.

* * *

Turkey took both marshmallows in hand, hefted them, and then stuffed them behind the eye-holes of his mask before following Spain's example and screaming that his eyes fell out while running down the hallway. He was enjoying himself until he bumped into Spain and nearly knocked his teeth out. A brawl ensued, only broken when Estonia trudged on top of their legs and arms glumly, having given in to the temptation to eat the marshmallows.

* * *

Hong Kong removed a lighter and some paper from his impossibly long sleeves before rolling up the paper and the marshmallows as one and setting it on fire. He stirred in a few mystery ingredients and before long; BOOM! The blast sent the man running down the hall to the room with smoke coming from under the door. He anxiously yanked it open to see a very satisfied and scorched Hong Kong pinned against the ceiling by the ashy residue from the explosion, a smile on his face.

He was delivered quickly to China. When the blue-suited man wasn't looking, he tossed the lighter under the nearest door. _May you make good use of it. _

* * *

Now it was down to Japan, Latvia, Teutonic Knights, Hungary, and Romania, as well as the Heroic Hero himself!

Japan continued to stare, smug in the fact that he now had two marshmallows. Three, four, and the rest of them couldn't be far behind. He sat placidly in his chair.

* * *

Latvia was just flat-out afraid of the marshmallows. They seemed to loom threateningly over him, chuckling malignantly, an evil Russia-esque aura glimmering about them. He dove back under the table, hearing the possessed marshmallows giggling and flopping around above him. They cackled in their evil marshmallow language, and just when he thought he couldn't take it any more, there was silence.

Complete and utter silence. He dared to peek above the table.

He barely had time to open his mouth to scream before the marshmallows lunged for him, leaping down his throat. Latvia gagged and coughed, sputtering on reflex as the lump in his esophagus finally swallowed.

When the blue-suited man appeared, Latvia was pathetically relieved that the terrible marshmallows were gone, and he was even smiling as he went to talk to his friends.

* * *

There was a skittering sound at the door, and Romania turned around from squinting at the marshmallows to see a small red and gold lighter slide beneath the door.

Filled with curiosity, he opened it, and flicked the switch on and off, watching the little flame dance at his command.

He turned to his marshmallows and gave a wicked grin, baring that one spiky tooth. He'd always liked them best with their skin on fire.

* * *

The man in the blue suit was taking a short break from monitoring the small nations - China was helpful, but only to a small extent, as he preferred to only offer his guidance to nations that were polite to him - and was sipping coffee in a quiet room when the fire alarm went off, causing him to jump and nearly spill his coffee all over the desk. A glance through the window showed him that a few chibi nations were crying, a few others didn't care - he saw, to his amusement, that Greece was still curled up on a chair with no signs of waking- and the rest were using it as a chance to wreak havoc. He winced. _It'll cost way too much to repair it all...my only consolation is that that other one __said he'd pay me a lot to do this..._

He grabbed the fire extinguisher from its place beside his desk and sprinted down the hall again, throwing open the door to a wave of roiling heat. Flames licked across every surface, for not only had Romania set the marshmallows on fire, he'd ignited the rest of the room, too. Romania was sitting in the middle of the conflagration, a wide smile under his hat.

The man sprayed him in the face with fire extinguisher, and then proceeded to spray the rest of the room before scooping up the Romanian in the same fashion he'd picked up Romano and carried the giggling nation out the door.

* * *

As the man was distracted by Romania's helpful inferno, Teutonic Knights scrambled out of his room, across the hall, and into Hungary's. "Hey!" she exclaimed, and as Teutonic Knights grabbed her marshmallows, she snatched up the plate and cracked it over his head. "Give those back!" Though dazed, Teutonic Knights managed to stuff the white sugar in his mouth and chew. "Ha!" he shouted, spitting pieces of marshmallow into her face. "You lose!"

Seething with rage, the Hungarian stormed out of the room, grabbed the discarded fire extinguisher, and emptied the last dregs of its contents onto the albino before laying into him with the empty tank. "Ack! No! I'm to awesome to die at such a young age!" He ran and dodged the attacks wildly, stopping in time to see Hungary delicately swallow his marshmallows.

"YOU EVIL SCUM!" Teutonic Knights did a flying tackle on Hungary, knocking her out the door, the chair in splinters behind them. Hungary retaliated by smashing him into the wall, and then kicking him into Romania's room. The inside was covered in fire extinguisher, and as they rolled around trying to throttle each other, they ended up covering themselves in foamy white extinguisher.

When the man returned from dispatching Romania, he found the doors of both Hungary's and Teutonic Knight's rooms flung open wide, the marshmallows gone, and the nations in question duking it out on the floor of the recently on fire room.

* * *

And then there were two.

The hero in question was looking at the ragged state of his marshmallows. He'd waited until he couldn't bear it anymore [one whole minute], and had then oh-so-carefully ripped a smidgen off to taste. He closed his eyes. Pure bliss.

And the process repeated itself until the marshmallow was pitifully not whole, and the second marshmallow had the process followed thusly. Two jagged-edged marshmallows sat on the plate, and the ceaselessly hungry American gave them a sad look before he began chewing on the tablecloth.

Suddenly, he remembered. _Duh!_ He was wearing his bomber jacket, and his bomber jacket was stuffed full of hamburgers and soda. He contently pulled out a five-high stack of hamburgers and a large soda and began eating away.

* * *

In the other room, Japan was meditating to ignore the hunger in his stomach. He'd been in the middle of helping China make breakfast for all the others when the nations were called over here. He'd counted how many nations had joined this test, and he'd heard them all leave.

Except for one.

America.

He didn't have any particular feelings towards America, but he willed the other nation to be hungry. He pictured a ball of hungry energy in his mind and imagined it flying through the walls to America.

Then he waited.

* * *

The clock wound up to ten minutes several times more. A stack of marshmallows slowly grew larger on both nations' tables. Japan slowly grew hungrier, while America contentedly ate his way through his hamburgers. The blue-suited man was bored, but doing a good job of not showing it as morning turned to noon, and afternoon sunlight turned gold and then slightly orange-ish. The nations in the waiting room had gotten bored of wrecking things. Most were following Greece's example and sleeping. China had taken Hong Kong's lighter away, but he was asleep now and the more mischievous nations had made a game of trying to get the lighter out of his pocket without him waking.

And still the competition wore on.

* * *

America reached into his jacket for another hamburger, surrounded by empty styrofoam cups and a veritable carpet of crumbs. To his surprise, there were none left. He reached into his other pockets frantically, but felt none at all. Nothing. No hamburgers. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

He groaned and stared at his pile of marshmallows. How many were there, even? He began counting, got bored, and gave up. _Surely they won't be able to tell if one is missing..._

He reached out to the marshmallow pile and picked one, squishing it in his hand before bringing it to his mouth.

* * *

Sixty marshmallows. Ten hours, and sixty marshmallows to show for it.

Japan frowned, and in response his stomach gurgled noisily at him.

_Surely America has given up by now. If not..._

The Japanese nation sighed. "Time to lose a test, then."

At the top of a delicately constructed building [made of stacked marshmallows] was the most perfect marshmallow he'd received. A complete tube, with a length as long as the diameter. He'd measured it. And the pure feathery whiteness of it wasn't matched by any of the other marshmallows. It was the marshmallow that all other marshmallows aspired to be.

And he was going to eat it.

He stretched up carefully, nabbing the marshmallow, sighing once more, and putting the marshmallow in his mouth.

* * *

And so it was that the last two contestants in the marshmallow test finished at exactly the same time.

* * *

America and Japan looked up as the blue-suited man opened the doors to their rooms at the same time. They were across from each other.

"Guess what," said the man, stifling a yawn. Both nations blinked up at him. "Did I win?" they asked simultaneously, hopeful smiles on their faces.

"You both did."

The two to them erupted in cheers, and were led back to the meeting room in triumph. "We win!" shouted America, bouncing on the couch to wake everyone up, and joggling the nations attempting to steal the lighter. "Thank you," said Japan to the blue-suited man. "My pleasure." came the reply. He raised his voice.

"As a reward for participating, each of you gets one bag of marshmallows each."

The sound of small nations cheering drowned out anything else he might've said.

* * *

An hour later, the man was cleaning up. The nations had gone home, and he'd decided to start reorganizing the building he'd rented.

There was a knock on the door. He went to open it.

"Ciao!" shouted the brown-haired man he'd collaborated with, and he walked in without invitation. "Did you miss me?"

The man in the blue suit offered a rare smile. "Of course, my friend."

"How did the test go? Was it good? How did my grandkids do?"

"The test flowed pretty well. Apparently this suit you bought made me look more like an authority figure than just my armor. There were one or two...disruptions, but all in all, it was good. Italy and Romano got out first, you know."

The Roman Empire beamed. "Just as I expected. And your kids?"

Germania shrugged. "HRE and Teutonic Knights did just the same."

The Roman Empire slung an arm around his old friend's shoulder and laughed. "Today was sure a day, wasn't it."

Germania nodded.

"Here's your payment, you know." The Roman Empire offered him a bag of coins that clinked and rustled. "I make good on my promises."

Germania nodded again. "Indeed you do, my friend, for you promised me that today would be interesting, and it was." He took the bag, and it disappeared into a pocket on the suit.

"Now, let's go watch the fireworks!" declared The Roman Empire.

At the memory of what Hong Kong had done with fire, he winced a little, but smiled once more. "Let's."


End file.
